Every human feels inadequate sometimes.

But good news is that whether the whispers of you're not good enough comes from someone in your life, from broader society, or from inside your own head,

there are ways that you can lift yourself up and feel more self-assured.

Hello and welcome back to savvy psychologist. I'm your host, Dr. Jade Wu. Every week, I'll

help you meet life challenges with evidence-based research, a sympathetic ear, and zero judgment.

Today on the show, we talk about how to stop feeling inadequate. So what does

that mean? What does that feel like? Well, have you ever sat in a classroom or work meeting and

felt small? Like you don't belong there? As you listen to other people make seemingly smarter

comments than you can ever think of.

Have you ever cringed at your own reflection in the mirror, seeing a body that's nothing like the

ones you see in magazines? Or have you doubted your own sanity when you thought you were awesome,

but discover that someone else seemed to think that

you don't measure up. Each of us has someone in our life who makes us feel as invalid as an

expired password. Sometimes that someone is a parent, a partner, a total stranger, or even a friend.

Often that someone is actually something, like an academic institution or a whole cultural stereotype. And sadly, sometimes we buy into it.

Recently, I was listening to my hero, Michelle Obama, narrating her own autobiography in audiobook form.

And I stopped dead in my tracks when she described how in high school a guidance counselor told her she was not Princeton material.

Even more shocking was that she doubted herself, too.

She talked about how so much of what she did in her youth was aimed at answering the question, am I good enough? I wondered, if Michelle Obama could question her own adequacy, what hope is there for the rest of us? Well, imposter syndrome is real. Every one of us can relate to this type of self-doubt on some level. And it's not just about academic ability.

Snuggly couples pop out from every corner whenever we feel lonely. Ridiculously attractive people seem to materialize

out of thin air next to us on the beach whenever we feel especially bloated. We try to not make

eye contact with passers-by as we park our years-old corolla between a Porsche and Land Rover.

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